Agnes silently watched the powerful waves crash onto the shore, her eyes dim as she glanced at the dark sky. Not a single star could be seen, the rain poured heavily, and blinding flashes of lightning lit up the sky. Her body shivered slightly as thunder rumbled through the night.
She stared for a few more moments at the raging sea before closing the wooden window. She then went to the kitchen where Auntie Nita was busy making coffee. Smiling, the old woman placed a cup of coffee on the small table and invited her to sit. Although shy, Agnes accepted the offer.
It had been three days since she tried to end her life in the ocean, and in those three days, she hadn't seen the merman she had kissed for reasons she still couldn't understand.
It was Auntie who had witnessed that moment and caused the merman to quickly swim away. The old woman had taken her in after that and gave her shelter, but only temporarily. Agnes knew she had no home to return to, not after what she had done to Brianna.
"Dear, are you worried about your merman friend?" the old woman suddenly asked.
"Yes, I'm worried the storm might affect the merfolk living beneath the sea."
"Don't worry. The ocean is their home, and many storms have passed through this town. They'll survive," the old woman reassured her with a smile.
Somehow, that comforted Agnes. She believed Auntie Nita, who knew a lot about sea creatures. In fact, this was the wife of the fisherman who told her about understanding the language of manatees. In just three days, Agnes had already learned so much from her knowledge that might help her communicate with the merman. She could even warn him now.
"Dear, there's something I want to tell you."
"What is it, Auntie?"
"I'm truly sorry, but I don't think you can stay here any longer," the old woman said, making Agnes freeze in place.
She had expected it, but still, anxiety filled her—for herself and the elderly couple. The Acosta family had found out she was staying with them, and the arrogant family wanted her out. With a heavy heart, she sighed. Where could she possibly go now?
"I'm really sorry, dear."
"It's okay, Auntie. You don't need to apologize."
"I'll leave tomorrow. The storm seems to be passing anyway," she added.
"Do you have somewhere to go?" the old woman asked, concerned.
At first, Agnes couldn't answer.
"Right now, I don't. If I can't find shelter in this town, I might have to take a risk and leave altogether."
"But what about the merman?" old lady asked, making her stop once more.
What would happen to the merman she had met?
"H-he's not really… anything to me. So I don't need to worry about him," she replied, though her heart ached at her own words.
In just a short time, she had grown attached to that merman. There was something captivating about him—his eyes, his lips, his strong form, and his shimmering tail. She shook her head at her wandering thoughts.
"I don't mean to pry, but you really shouldn't have kissed him," said old lady, catching her off guard.
"W-why?"
"Kissing is very important to merfolk," she answered seriously.
"Like with us humans, kisses have meaning to them. When two opposite sex clasp hands, it means they accept each other's love. When a mermaid allows a merman to kiss her, it means they're officially courting. But when a woman kisses a male—it's a joining of souls."
Agnes felt the blood drain from her face. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in disbelief. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her.
"W-wait… Auntie Nita, you're joking, right?"
"Why would I joke about something like that?" the woman chuckled softly, but her tone was serious.
"B-but isn't the man supposed to kiss the woman in a wedding?"
"That's our tradition. But in merfolk culture, it's different. Mermaids are the dominant ones. The kiss from a woman is the one that seals the bond."
So that meant… she was married to the merman?
"I-I didn't mean to marry him!" she burst out, panicked.
"I don't even know why I kissed him!"
"Some say when love compels your actions without reason, it's true love. And all you did was kiss him, Agnes," the old woman teased.
True love? This was insane.
"Auntie Nita, where do you get all this information?"
"I used to read a lot when I was young," she replied, standing and turning as if to leave. But before she went, she faced Agnes again.
"I hope you won't abandon that merman. A creature like them feels lifelong grief when they lose the one they love," she said before walking away.
Agnes was left with her thoughts. So many questions swirled in her head. Is it really true? Had she really joined souls with a merman? What was he thinking after she kissed him? Would he return? Show himself again? Was he really her husband now?
She clutched her head in frustration.
Lying on the floor, she stared at the ceiling. She was staying in the couple's small wooden house, and since the sofa was too small and stiff, she slept on the floor with a thin mat. Despite their poverty, the couple had been so kind—unlike the Acostas.
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but the thunder, lightning, and crashing waves only brought the merman to mind again. Why had she kissed him, a being so different from herself? Was she really that desperate for love?
It was irritating.
She sighed deeply and tried again to sleep. But she couldn't shake the image of the merman's smiling face from her mind, nor the way her heart pounded when she thought of him.
Was he really her husband now?
Morning came without her realizing. At 6 a.m., she woke up and joined the couple for breakfast. After clearing the table, she didn't delay in saying goodbye.
"I know this will be hard, dear. But maybe try humbling yourself to the Acostas. Sir. Morris might let you stay," the old man suggested.
"I know they've hurt you, but endure it for now. Save a little, and someday you can leave them," added Auntie Nita.
"Thank you, Mister Jose, Auntie Nita."
"Dear, I hope you'll stay in town. And don't forget what we talked about last night," said old woman.
"Yes, thank you both so much," Agnes replied, hugging them briefly before carrying her things out.
Her house wasn't far from theirs, just a short walk, but it still pained her to leave the only people who had treated her like family in such a short time. She wasn't even sure if she was still welcome in the house the Acostas had built for her.
She returned to her small house near the sea. Dropping her belongings in the sand, she didn't go inside right away. Instead, she turned to look at the ocean. Though the waves still surged, it looked calmer now.
Would she ever see that merman again?
She smiled faintly and finally entered her house. She planned to visit the Acostas later and ask for forgiveness. She needed food and shelter. She'd forget Brianna and Erick's betrayal for now. She just needed to save enough to leave eventually.
Two hours passed. She spent her time putting her things back into the house, reversing what she had done when she thought she'd stay with the old couple. Afterward, she changed clothes and stepped outside.
She spotted a few fishermen carrying heavy boxes.
"Mister, what are those?" she asked, frowning.
"Dynamite. We're blowing up the ocean tomorrow to flush out the mermaids," one answered, stabbing pain into her heart.
"D-don't you feel sorry for the innocent creatures down there?"
"Girl, no one has time for sympathy anymore. We need money. The mermaids are our only ticket to riches, so shut it," the man scoffed, walking away.
She was supposed to head to the Acosta mansion but instead, she stayed by the shore, hoping the merman would show himself. Her merman. Her… husband.
Over half an hour passed. No fish, no crabs, nothing appeared. She was about to leave when she heard his familiar song.
Standing from where she sat on the sand, she saw the merman peeking out from behind the rocks like a curious child. She scanned the surroundings—no one else was around. She waved at him, and he swam toward her, making her heart pound.
W-why was she feeling this way?
Suddenly, her chest felt tight, her face flushed, and her cheeks warmed. Why was he affecting her like this now? Was it because she kissed him and he thought they were married?
She was going crazy.
"H-how are you?" she asked shyly, wading into the water beside him.
"How are you?" she repeated, though she knew he wouldn't answer.
He only smiled and tilted his head.
"Wait… I actually know a little of their language now," she whispered.
Recalling Auntie Nita's lessons, she smiled and made a soft, melodic sound—mimicking his call—then gently rested her head against his. Like a cat asking for affection. It was silly, but she didn't care.
The merman smiled, then copied her. Her face flushed even more as he made the same sound and rested his head against hers. Their faces were so close, just inches apart. Her heart pounded wildly, and overwhelmed, she pulled away.
"W-why do I feel this way?" she muttered, pressing a hand to her chest.
The merman only furrowed his brow.
She was about to speak when she heard a strange sound—his stomach growling. She couldn't help but laugh. Who would've thought a merman's stomach could rumble like a human's?
"Wait here. I'll find you something to eat," she said, leaving quickly.
She wandered the beach and shallow waters, looking for edible sea plants. She knew they ate fish too, but she had none—so seaweed would have to do. When she returned, she was out of breath.
"Sorry, did I take too long?" she asked, panting. He only tilted his head again.
"Here, eat this," she offered him the sea plants she'd gathered.
He smiled like a delighted child and leaned toward her hands, nibbling at the food gently.
She frowned. Just a while ago, he had snatched food from her hands greedily. Now, he used her hands like a plate, eating delicately like a pet.
"Is it good?" she asked.
He smiled again.
"Looks like you're really enjoying it," she said with a flat expression.
Minutes passed. When he was done, he still had some left, and then without warning, he brought the food to her lips. She grimaced as she lowered her gaze to the seaweed being offered to her—still sandy, and if you looked closely, it was enough to make you want to throw up. She just didn't eat seaweed.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," she said with a slight shake of her head.
The merman furrowed his brow and pouted a little, then went back to eating the food himself. As he gnawed on the seaweed, he kept glancing up at her and smiling, then munching again until he finished it all. She couldn't believe she had kissed this man who clearly had no idea how the world worked.
When he finished eating, he stayed in front of her, tilting his head from side to side as he watched her. She froze when he suddenly raised a hand, like he was asking for a high-five.
With no clue what he meant, she simply raised her hand, intending to meet his in a playful gesture—but she stopped dead in her tracks and nearly turned to stone when he laced his fingers with hers.
Didn't that mean something?
She remembered clearly what Auntie Nita had told her—that when a mermaid and a merman interlace their fingers like that, it meant both were accepting each other's love. Her heart pounded wildly as she looked down at their joined hands. His were scaly, with long claws, but strangely, she didn't want to let go.
Did this mean the merman… liked her?
She couldn't find the words to say anything, and instead just stared at him. He smiled, then leaned his head against her like a cat. She let him do what he wanted—he seemed so content, after all.
She looked again at their joined hands and noticed that his fingers weren't entirely separate—there was a slight webbing between them. Unreal. She still couldn't fully believe what she was seeing.
She was in the middle of examining his body when she suddenly remembered the real reason she'd been studying his song. She was struck with worry as she recalled the boxes of dynamite she'd seen with the fishermen earlier. If she didn't warn him, he could be in real danger. She gently pulled away from his affection.
She let out a series of calls that made the creature before her freeze. She knew her meaning wouldn't be completely clear, but worry flickered across his face.
Just simple ideas: danger, family, sea, explosion, go away—that's all she could communicate. Her message was: your family is in danger because someone plans to bomb the sea—you have to leave. And it seemed like he understood.
Driven by fear, he quickly turned around and swam away until he was out of sight. Her eyes dimmed as she emerged from the water, her breathing heavy and pained. He didn't even say goodbye. And she couldn't blame him—he had to leave.
She turned and walked away.
(FASTFORWARD)
Days passed, and just as she'd expected, the merman never returned. For several days, she couldn't stop wondering—was he sad that they were apart? Was he thinking about her? According to Auntie Nita, a merman felt deep sorrow when separated from the one he loved.
She sighed and shook her head at the thoughts swirling in her mind.
She looked out the window, watching the fishermen loading box after box of dynamite onto their boats. As much as she worried, there was nothing she could do. If she tried to speak up, the fishermen might get angry. Besides, it was Sir. Morris who had ordered the dynamite blasting, and everyone followed him.
The Acosta family was away for now—off on a sudden business trip, she'd heard. And Brianna? She was keeping herself busy with her ex, Erick. That meant, for now she had the house to herself. Speaking of Erick, she still cried over him sometimes. They had been together for years, and it all ended because he cheated on her—with Brianna.
She let out a deep breath and turned away. She didn't want to watch the fishermen any longer, so eager to destroy the sea. She could report this to the police, but as far as she knew, Sir. Morris paid them off. That's how wealthy and influential the Acosta family was.
She busied herself with repairs on her storm-damaged house, the roof was partly destroyed, and some parts outside needed fixing. Exhausted, she finally stepped inside, ate a little, cleaned herself up, and lay down on her hard bed. She hadn't even fully settled when she heard a soft thumping on her door.
"J-just a minute," she called, nervous but getting up quickly.
She didn't bother grabbing anything for protection. She figured no bad person would knock like that. Besides, she was used to Sir. Morris dropping by unannounced. She rushed to the door, expecting him.
But she froze in place when she opened it—not a man, but the injured merman was lying there, facedown on the ground. The one she hadn't seen in days.
Her chest tightened. She dropped to her knees beside him, trying to comfort him. With tears in her eyes, she dragged him inside and made sure the door was locked and the windows shut—no one must see the merman in her home. She brought him to the small room and helped him onto the bed.
"J-just wait, I'll get the first aid kit," she said in a panic. She didn't have much, but she had managed to collect first aid kits from Brianna's old throwaways.
She turned to leave, ready to run out of the room, but the merman made a soft sound that stopped her. She looked back, her brows furrowing when he raised one hand again—as if asking for a high-five.
Her heart pounded as she lifted her hand and laced her fingers with his. And in that moment, she understood why he had returned, even knowing the ocean had been blasted with dynamite all day.
He came back for her.
Because she was his wife.